


Leadeth Me Beside the Still Waters

by Iritvea



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Bullying, F/F, Intimidation, NSFW dialogue, POV, day in the life, dream - Freeform, religious character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-05-13 12:54:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5708887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iritvea/pseuds/Iritvea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Day-in-the-life fic centered around Kate Marsh, with Marshfield leanings. Set before the Vortex Club party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leadeth Me Beside the Still Waters

Teacups clinked against saucers in Kate and Max’s favorite Arcadia bay tea spot. Sunlight poured in through the windows, illuminating the wooden table Kate and Max currently sat at in the cozy establishment.

Kate adjusted her silverware next to her plate, “That was a nice story. You’re funny, Max.”

She looked up in time to see Max grin, “Thanks Kate, but… I don’t think I’m much of a storyteller.”

Kate leaned forward, “Oh, but you are, Max!” She eyed Max’s hands, presently folded on the table, before reaching out and cupping them in hers. “I love hearing stories about you and your friend,” she giggled. “Pirate Max sounds very cute.”

Max looked bashfully downwards and shook her head, “That was a long time ago.”

“I wish I had stories like that,” Kate admitted mournfully. She shook her head. At the moment she couldn’t remember much—just facts like her sister’s birthday and flashes of her mother’s angry face.

Max ducked below the table and returned with a polaroid camera, which she aimed at Kate, “You will someday.”

Kate beamed as Max snapped a picture. She waited for Max to collect the printed out picture and examine it before she spoke.

“Thanks, Max… How did it turn out?”

Max met Kate’s eyes. “Perfect,” she cooed.

Kate could feel herself blushing as her gaze fell to the floor. The atmosphere in the shop suddenly seemed “thick,” somehow. She noticed there was about an inch of water below her feet, and as she looked around, she observed the same level of water throughout the tea shop.

“Kate?” Max’s voice echoed in her ear. “Do you want to go back to the dorms?”

Thoughts of the water on the floor vanished quickly from Kate’s mind. She flushed as she answered, “I’d love to, Max.”

Kate felt herself glowing inside as she rose from her seat and met Max around the side of the table. She could feel the cool of the water around her knees now but that was of little concern. She took Max’s hand and they waded through the water towards the shop’s front door.

The door faded away when Max touched it and they stumbled into Kate’s dorm room.

Kate caught herself on the foot of her bed before she could tumble onto the carpet. Max opted to collapse momentarily on the futon. Kate giggled as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Her heart was racing and it felt like it might sprout wings and fly out of her chest.

Max rose from the futon and came to kneel in front of her.

“Kate, are you sure about this?”

The room behind Max seemed to melt into a rosy color. Kate was only dimly aware of this beyond the elated feelings which rolled over her.

“Yes Max,” she breathed.

Max nodded and stood, placing a hand on either of Kate’s shoulders. She gently guided her torso into a backwards-leaning and then lying position.

Lying on her back, Kate watched the rise and fall of her own chest and was suddenly aware that her necklace had been misplaced. Mildly distressed, she craned her neck around and scanned the room for a glint of gold. She sighted the cross dangling from its chain off the edge of her nightstand, and felt momentarily at ease before her attention was drawn back to Max.

The bed creaked as Max climbed up onto it, the weight of her body creating dips in the mattress where her knees came to rest. She hovered over Kate, eyeing her tentatively for a second, before she reached for her collar and unfastened the button at the top. The collar fell open, and Max moved cautious fingers to the next button on down the line, repeating this pattern until she could loosen and open the blouse completely.

Kate took a shallow breath in as Max studied her. She felt a chill rush over her newly exposed skin. Seeming satisfied with whatever she’d been surveying, Max flattened a hand across the bedspread on either side of Kate’s torso and pursed her lips. She rocked forward onto the upper part of her knees and leaned in…

A pounding beat and some profanity-laden lyrics disrupted Kate’s focus and seemed to reverberate through the scene, wiping out Max and all the pleasant warm hues and replacing them with the stark white ceiling over Kate’s dorm bed. As she came to, Kate could feel a tiny tremor working its way up through the bed into her back, presumably from the extra-loud music that simultaneously greeted her ears, flooding her murky consciousness with lyrics she pieced together as being about flaunting… something… in front of other people.

It seemed Victoria was up early today.

Kate slowly sat up in bed, forced to greet the fall chill in her room as her covers slowly slid off her body. She turned to the side and allowed her bare feet to touch the floor. She straightened her back and crossed herself, but hesitated doing anything else as she eyed the wall she shared with Victoria and noted that it appeared to be vibrating.

Breathing a deep sigh, Kate turned back to her bed and went through the motions of making it, neatly tucking in the corners at the end like she always did. Once, early on in the semester, she’d gone to the trouble of asking Victoria to turn her music down—and quickly learned that such actions would be fruitless, as Victoria responded by giving her one of her first tastes of public mockery in the halls of Blackwell.

Kate frowned. Since then, she’d become unpleasantly accustomed to being the subject of ridicule on campus. She had been successful in getting permission to hang the posters for her abstinence campaign around campus, but had also made what a part of her now considered a “mistake” in trying to explain her views to some students when she’d heard them mocking the campaign. She folded her arms tighter to herself now as she reflected on how word about her had gotten to spread from those students all the way through the student body and into the administration. Truthfully, since she’d arrived at Blackwell, she’d never really been “Kate Marsh” to anyone, so much as “the Christian,” and as more and more began to associate the posters with her face, she became “the abstinence girl.”

The title, needless to say, came with some unpleasant effects, such as near-constant harassment from Victoria and her crew, but Kate continued to remind herself that she’d been told to expect this kind of reaction. It stung when she found graffiti in the girls’ bathroom about her, or when the boys on the football team would gather and mock her as she crossed the school lawn, or when people like Brooke and Victoria would make snide jabs implying she was a hypocrite-- but she could force any pain to subside by reminding herself of the purpose she was serving.

She was aware that as the unofficial figurehead of this campaign, as she had unwittingly become, her behavior was constantly being scrutinized. The slightest deviation would be seen as an almost “admission” that she was wrong, and so she constantly monitored herself to project the appropriate image—like her life was on rent for the sake of the campaign.

She recalled the dream, with images of Max’s face and pursed lips, and a warmth flooded her face. She paused where she was, feeling her throat going dry. To say the dream was unpleasant would be a lie, but to be open about something of that nature would be perceived as exactly the kind of deviation to undermine her and soil her reputation. She quietly thought Max to be a special person, and was grateful that she had reciprocated her efforts to make friends. Moreover, unlike most of the people in her life, Max didn’t seem to expect her to _be_ anything in particular.

Breathing in, she dropped to her knees by the bedside and folded her hands in front of her.

Our Father  
Who art in Heaven  
Hallowed be thy name  
Thy kingdom come  
Thy will be done  
On Earth as it is in Heaven  
Give us this day our daily bread  
And forgive us our trespasses  
As we forgive those who trespass  
Against us  
and lead us not into temptation  
But deliver us from evil  
For thine is the kingdom  
and the power  
and the glory  
for ever and ever

Amen

Kate dutifully recited the prayer with a creased brow and carefully emphasized the word “temptation” as well as “deliver us from evil.” She stood as soon as she was done, and was promptly greeted by another string of aggressively-pronounced “fucks” and “shits” from the room next door as Victoria’s music selection rolled into another song.

She sighed.

Later, those same types of words rolled from Mr. Jefferson’s mouth in class as he dissected the work of David LaChapelle, which he had been upfront in stating he didn’t much care for. As he went on to explain why, he casually dropped a few swear words here and there, but as always, amended them with a “pardon me” and the occasional nod in Kate’s direction.

Kate didn’t know what it was, but for some reason, Mark Jefferson could make harsh words and cutting statements sound like music. He could be talking to an entire class, stop to praise some of Max Caulfield’s work, and still, though scarcely speaking a word to her, make Kate feel like she was somehow special. She listened to him intently, taking notes where needed, but mostly waiting for the chance to answer a question if called upon.

Mr. Jefferson held up a large book in front of the class which had what Kate might have described as, at least, a “distasteful” cover.

Mr. Jefferson chuckled, “The only reason I bought this book was because it helps me cover what’s in the curriculum. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even touch it.” He paused to allow some murmurs to bubble up from the class—with most of these coming approximately from where Victoria sat. “I’m going to pass it around so you can see what I’m talking about, but don’t get too attached.”

He concluded with a grin and set the book in front of Stella, who took it cautiously with both hands and began to flip through it. Kate noticed that Mr. Jefferson was watching her as he made his way back to the middle table where he usually sat, and she glowed inside as he returned her smile.

“Now we’re going to be talking about another artist, Ellen von Unwerth. Who here is familiar with her work?”

Kate barely needed to look to the side to know that Victoria’s hand shot up.

“Victoria,” Mr. Jefferson said, “How would you describe the work of Ellen von Unwerth?”

Kate watched as Victoria did a swivel-motion with her head, and replied in the same, haughty tone she always did, “She was well known for her work with female models and for producing editorial and erotic images that reflected the darker parts of human _desire_.” As she concluded the statement, she narrowed her eyes at Kate, and Taylor giggled.

“Interesting,” pronounced Mr. Jefferson, in a tone that made it sound like Victoria had somehow gotten the answer wrong. This diverted Victoria’s attention from Kate, allowing Kate to relax. Mr. Jefferson strode slowly towards Victoria, “and what is it, exactly, that makes human desire ‘dark?’”

Victoria struggled for a second, “W-well, it’s just _some_ of those images… not _every_ human desire has to be dark,” she explained. The second part had been an obvious stab at Kate, complete with side-eyeing and nonverbal assistance from Taylor, but she didn’t sound nearly as confident as she had a second prior.

“I see where you’re coming from,” Mr. Jefferson offered, “But be careful. Though all art is open to interpretation, it is possible to project too much.”

Victoria nodded enthusiastically, “I agree.”

There were a few seconds of silence before Alyssa, seemingly unable to tolerate Victoria anymore, made a loud gagging noise which caused several members of the class to burst out laughing. Kate watched as Victoria turned an angry gaze on nearly everyone in the class, seemingly trying to figure out where the noise had come from. Kate pressed her fingers to her lips and met eyes with Max, who was grinning broadly, and was the next recipient of Victoria’s glare, before Blackwell’s ‘queen bee’ set her sights on Kate.

“All right, that’s enough,” Mr. Jefferson pronounced, waving his arms over the class. The room gradually stilled and each student returned to their prior states, save for Victoria, who continued to glance angrily back and forth between Kate and Max.

“Max Caulfield,” Mr. Jefferson called to the back of the room, where Max broke eye contact with Kate to look at him. “How would you describe Ellen von Unwerth’s work?”

Max appeared to shrink a bit, “I… uh…”

Victoria cut in, “I’m betting Max, in typical Caulfield fashion, didn’t _do_ the reading, and has no idea who Ellen von Unwerth is.”

Max scowled, “That’s not true, Victoria.”

“Enough,” Mr. Jefferson injected. “Max, can you answer the question, please?”

Max stalled out and her face seemed to pale.

“Max?” Mr. Jefferson repeated.

Kate bit her lip.

“I… uh…” Max struggled.

Kate frowned as Victoria sneered, looking like she’d already won.

“I…” Max backtracked.

“I see,” Mr. Jefferson said softly. He turned away, leaving Max to retreat into defeated posture. “Can anyone else tell me about Ellen von Unwerth?”

Kate thought that Stella probably could, but didn’t get the chance to see if she would raise her hand, for it was in the next second that the bell rang. Most of the class bolted out of their seats and made for the door, save for Max, Victoria, and Kate.

“All right,” Mr. Jefferson addressed the class over the sound of scraping chairs and squeaking footsteps. “Remember, the deadline for the Everyday Heroes contest is coming up. I highly recommend that you all enter, as it is great exposure for your work. I’ll have your introductory projects graded by next class, and Max Caulfield, please try not to make a habit of proving Miss Chase correct.”

Kate’s heart went out to Max, who visibly curled in on herself as she exited the classroom. For her part, she stayed in her seat and watched Victoria approach Mr. Jefferson at his desk.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass her,” Victoria cooed, brushing off the incident in a tone of voice that made Kate sick. “I just feel so passionate about what we’re learning that it makes me feel upset when someone else just isn’t putting in the same effort.”

“I wouldn’t worry about Max Caulfield,” Mr. Jefferson pronounced cooly. “Worry about yourself. I know you said you were interested in participating in the Everyday Heroes contest. I think in light of what you’ve told me your goals are, that would be a good move for you.”

Victoria grinned, “I’m almost done with my entry. I’ll have it to you next class.”

Mr. Jefferson nodded, “I’m looking forward to it.”

Victoria nodded her head at the classroom, “Do you need any help? I could file papers, or…”

Mr. Jefferson gestured to where Kate sat, “Kate has already volunteered her help, and I don’t let my students handle eachother’s papers, but thank you for your offer.”

Kate nodded as Victoria glanced back and forth between her and Mr. Jefferson, seeming taken-aback.

“Of course,” she finally said.

“See you in class,” Mr. Jefferson concluded, taking a step forward as if to usher Victoria out of the room.

Victoria cast one last, disbelieving look over the two of them before turning and wordlessly exiting the classroom.

Kate rose from her seat, feeling almost like thanking Mr. Jefferson for his masterfully polite-yet-firm dismissal of Victoria. When she noticed him looking at her, however, she stopped short.

“Thank you for volunteering to help, Kate, and it looks like you beat Victoria to the punch, so good for you…”

Kate smiled and nodded, “I’m happy to help, Mr. Jefferson.”

Mr. Jefferson nodded, and clapped a hand down on a small stack of boxes next to his desk. “I have some old photography books I’m donating to the library. We’ll carry them down there in a bit, but first, I’d like to ask you the question I posed to Max and Victoria. How would you describe the work of Ellen von Unwerth?”

Kate winced inadvertently, “Oh… Um, I guess they’re… interesting photographs.”

“Not a favorite, I take it?” his eyes seemed to sparkle as he spoke. “Everyone’s reactions to things like that will be different, of course. I was just curious, since I suspected you had done the reading.” He raised his chin and looked down the ridge of his nose at her, “For the record… she’s not a favorite of mine.”

Kate nodded carefully, “Do you have a favorite photographer, Mr. Jefferson?”

His eyebrows arched and he tilted his head to the side a little, “Not angling for brownie points, are you?” Kate’s eyes widened, but before she could try to answer, he chuckled, “No, no, I know you’re not, believe me. You’re a good enough student you don’t have to worry about that kind of thing.” He gripped the edge of the desk, “Let me think… I suppose I like to see photography that goes in a different direction from what’s ‘expected.’ My favorite photographers are the ones that… chart their own path, who aren’t afraid to deviate from the norm and portray the world in the way that is most meaningful to them. Does that answer your question, Kate?”

“It does, thank you,” Kate answered. It didn’t, _really_ , but she didn’t want to seem rude by asking for clarification.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Mr. Jefferson asked, seating himself on the edge of his desk and studying her with a quizzical look.

Kate shifted, “Um, okay?”

“What’s your favorite photograph that’s ever been taken of you?”

The question gave Kate pause. She thought about asking if she had, in fact, heard it correctly.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Mr. Jefferson explained with a shrug, “It’s just a question I ask every one of my students during the portraiture unit. I figured I’d test it out on you a bit sooner. Sorry if that was too abrupt.”

“No, no… Um…” Kate gnawed slightly on her bottom lip. “I guess my favorite picture of me is the one where I’m at the fair with my sisters. Why?”

He nodded as if he’d found something he greatly approved of, and rose from his seat on the desk, “Photography tells us a lot about ourselves. Portraits and self-portraits are interesting in that they can reveal much about how we see ourselves versus how others see us,” he waved a hand. “I’m sorry, I’m lecturing out-of-class. You can stop me anytime.”

Kate shrugged, “It’s fine.“

“But that’s a good answer, and it suggests to me that you prioritize your family, which is noble.”

“Thank you,” Kate answered meekly.

“Now,” said Mr. Jefferson, “Let’s go ahead and unpack these boxes and see if there’s anything worth salvaging in here before we take it all down.”

Kate nodded agreeably, “Okay.”

Unpacking and sorting through the books took the better part of an hour, and actually ferrying them to the library took another half-an-hour, but this didn’t bother Kate too much. She had no time conflicts today—Bible study was tomorrow and the food drive at her church wasn’t until the weekend. She supposed she could have been spending time with Alyssa or Stella but Stella had work and Alyssa had been distant lately, so with the only other possibility being homework alone in her room, Kate was content to sit and sift through the vintage tomes for as long as needed. The dream she’d had circled through her mind occasionally, renewing simultaneous feelings of joy, confusion, and shame. She scolded herself multiple times and reminded herself not to dwell on it, but never more fervently than when Mr. Jefferson apparently noticed and commented that she seemed like she had something on her mind.

“I’m just a bit distracted… sorry…” she answered, sliding a book onto the ‘to be filed’ shelf in the library.

When she didn’t hear a response, she looked behind her to see him studying her.

“I see, “ Mr. Jefferson said softly. “Well know that if you ever need to talk about anything, I’m here.”

Kate nodded, “Thank you, Mr. Jefferson,”

“Thank _you_ , for helping me today, Kate,” he surveyed the shelf. “I think we’re almost done.” He froze, then took a step forward. “Oh… now how did that happen?”

Kate tried to follow his gaze, concerned.

He plucked a thin book from the shelf and examined it, “The barcode has been scratched off the back of this book. The library won’t take it if they can’t scan it in.”

Kate moved to inspect the damaged book but stopped when he abruptly looked up, gazing seemingly boring into her.

“Would you like it?” he asked. “It’s Anne Geddes… ‘bit pedestrian, perhaps, but a nice representation of her work.”

Kate took a step back, “Oh, I don’t know…”

“It’s going to be thrown in the trash, otherwise…” he cocked his head to the side, “You don’t have to tell anyone I gave it to you, in fact…” he chuckled, “I’d argue that would be a very bad idea around Victoria.”

Kate smiled, and tentatively stretched a hand out. The book arrived in her hands before she really had time to think about it.

“Consider it a gift of gratitude,” he said, “you helped me a lot today, Kate.”

Kate opened her mouth to speak, but was having trouble gathering the words.

Principal Wells’ voice came over the school loudspeaker, “Mark Jefferson, please report to my office as soon as possible. Mark Jefferson, please report to my office. Thank you.”

“Seems I’m needed elsewhere…” he nodded once at Kate before turning to leave. “I’ll see you in class, Kate.”

Kate hugged the book to her chest as she watched Mr. Jefferson depart. Once he was gone, she slipped the book into her bag and turned to leave the filing area.

She felt a bit uplifted as she exited the library, enough to be able to appreciate the beautiful day outside. She smiled to herself as she crossed the courtyard in front of the main building. She waved to Stella, who passed her in the other direction, looking like she was in a hurry. She sidestepped Daniel, who was seated on the front steps, hastily trying to sketch a bird that had landed nearby. She decided not to interfere. She passed Luke Parker, who as usual, kept his face to his phone and scarcely looked up except for a brief second at the sound of her footsteps. She passed David Madsen and waved politely, feeling it best to stay on his good side, but he seemed focused on something else, and didn’t appear to notice her. She made her way down the steps towards the dormitories, and nearly bumped into Brooke, who huffed as she passed her by and Kate guessed she was in a bad mood.

It wasn’t until Kate was down the stairs and walking through the fence to the dormitories that something gave her pause.

Truthfully, it gave her more than pause, as she had the distinct inclination to run away when she saw Victoria standing directly in the middle of her path, flanked on either side by Courtney and Taylor. They were just talking initially, but when they sighted Kate, their demeanor changed collectively to something Kate couldn’t name, but didn’t like.

“Hi Kate…” Victoria’s greeting came out in a sickly-sweet, yet threatening tone. “I was wondering when I’d see you around today.”

Kate took a step back, as if to run, but the rest of her body suddenly felt like it was rooted in place. Victoria made her way over to her, and she, Taylor, and Courtney quickly surrounded her.

“Did you have fun with Mark?” Victoria sneered. “You were in the library a long time.”

“M-Mark?” Kate stammered.

Victoria’s eyes flashed and she closed the distance between Kate and herself. Her expression seemed almost to be overshadowed by a dark cloud. “You know, that _innocent_ act irritates the shit out of me,” she stated, lowering her voice. “I don’t buy it for a second.”

Kate felt herself getting angry, but the voice that came out of her throat did more to betray her hurt and confusion than her anger, “What are you talking about?”

Victoria reached out and flicked the cross at the end of Kate’s necklace. “I mean,” she growled, “This whole ‘I’m a Christian and I can’t think about sex’ bullshit…” She leaned in so that she was maybe a couple inches from Kate’s face and appended the assertion with, “I’ll bet it’s just a cover-up. I’ll bet underneath that act, you’re a two-faced little whore.”

Taylor laughed, “I’ll bet she gave him head.”

“No!” Kate cried impulsively. She tried to back up, but they followed her.

Victoria cocked her head to the side, “Oh? You know what that means?” She scowled. “What happened to ‘that which is pure’ and all that garbage you were spouting last week?”

Kate felt her chest tightening, “I…”

Victoria suddenly looked disproportionately angry, and only Taylor, who was far enough ahead of her to see it, seemed to react to it at all.

“You and Max Caulfield are the biggest fucking posers. You make me sick. You’d better watch your step on this campus.”

Even if Kate had thought of something to say, the flashing anger in Victoria’s eyes would have kept her from saying it.

“Are we clear?”

Kate wasn’t going to give Victoria the satisfaction of an affirmative answer, but she wasn’t brave enough to muster up a negative one. She took a shaky breath in and ducked around them, hurrying away to the dorms as fast as she could.

To her relief, the three didn’t follow.

Kate rushed past three people in the hall that her brain barely recognized before she reached her room. Something, no doubt insulting, was written on her slate again but she didn’t bother to look at it. She hastily drew her key from her bag to unlock the door and, once she had it open, slipped inside and slammed it behind her.

She threw her bag to the floor and collapsed in a heap on the futon. Hot tears welled up in her eyes. She righted herself and blinked once, letting those tears fall down her face as feelings of frustration and hurt caused her insides to churn.

She sat quietly, letting the room blur and then clear as fresh cycles of tears were sent down her face. Every minor sting she had pushed back for the past few weeks bubbled into her consciousness at once, forcing her to reflect, in a way she’d been avoiding for a while, on just _how_ much everyone at Blackwell hated her.

She stood up and made for the tissue box on her nightstand, glaring at the door as she passed. Victoria might have reduced her to tears this day, but she didn’t have to know it. Kate snatched up a couple of tissues and dabbed her eyes dry, consciously calming herself with even breaths through her nose. Her eyes traveled around the room. Alice, her bunny, hopped forward in her cage, scattering bark chips behind her. Kate discarded the wet tissues into the wastebasket and approached the cage.

“Hey Alice,” she said softly, greeting the rabbit. “How are you today?”

Alice’s only reply was to turn one of her ears and twitch her nose.

“Let’s get you some food, okay?”

Kate assumed that was okay. She opened the drawer of her dresser directly below the cage, but before she could reach in to where the food was kept, an electronic ringing pierced the quiet of her room and set her on edge.

Kate turned and sighted with dread the lighted screen of her phone. It had flown out and slid across the floor a few feet after she’d thrown her bag onto the floor. It scooted across the floor some as it vibrated, ringing loudly with a variation of “Depth of Mercy! Can there be,” and illuminating the ceiling with an ominous glow.

Kate ran to the phone and picked it up, cradling it in her hands as she tapped the screen. She hastily placed the phone to her ear.

“H-Hello?”

She winced. She knew full-well who it was. She had chosen a menagerie of cute ringtones to let her know who was calling, and that particular hymn to represent her mother, as one of the very first things she’d done with her phone.

“Kate, you had better not be screening my calls.”

Kate breathed, “N-no. I’m not...”

“In that case, I sincerely hope you’re not lying to me, again. I left you a voicemail an hour ago asking you a question and I expect an answer.”

Kate swallowed. Between helping Mr. Jefferson and the incident with Victoria, she’d forgotten to check her phone.

“I-I- can’t…” she answered solemnly. She wanted very _badly_ to lie, to say her phone had died, or was dying now…

“Because you didn’t check it,” her mother finished for her. There was a loud, exasperated sigh on the other end. “I’m sure that school encourages delinquent attitudes towards parental figures, but you are a Christian, may I remind you. The commandment is _Honor thy Father and Mother_.”

Kate felt her face get hot. “I know the commandment,” she shot back, wishing she had done so slower and with less of ‘a tone’ immediately after she’d done it.

“You be careful how you speak to me, _Kate Beverly_ … Remember, God is always watching, and if you mouth off to your parents…”

“Where’s Dad?” Kate asked desperately.

“Your father is meeting with the elders,” her mother answered cooly. “Emergency business, but if you want me to call and disrupt him…”

“No…” Kate sighed. “I’m sorry, mom.”

“You should be. Mind yourself from now on. Because you were so late responding to me, I’m afraid I have to leave to pick up Lynn at piano practice. We’ll discuss this later.”

The call ended with a click that resonated in Kate’s ear. She could feel the same, hot tears from earlier building in her eyes.

She knew she shouldn’t be angry, but that thought was a distant, squelched voice in the back of her head as a torrent of memories and upsetting thoughts flowed through her mind. Her gaze landed on the book on the floor where it had slid out of her bag with her cellphone. Directionless anger guided her movements as she approached and picked it up.

She hurled the book at the door, watching it flatten out as the spine collided with the wood, and its pages flutter as it fell to the ground, both producing a loud thump. Shortly thereafter, she fell forward onto her knees, digging her nails into the carpet as her body shook with silent sobs.

She tried to reassure herself that this was only a bad day, that things could improve, that she’d been told to expect this, that she was serving a higher purpose. Not everyone at Blackwell hated her.

 _But most of them did_ , she thought.

Kate pinched her eyes shut as new, hot tears brimmed in her eyes. She lurched forward on her knees and a lone, strangled wail escaped her throat.

“Kate, are you okay?”

Kate froze and allowed her eyes to slowly open. Once they had, her gaze flew to the door where Max Caullfield’s voice had come from a second before.

“Kate?” came Max’s slightly muffled voice.

Kate sat up and roughly wiped the tears from her face with the elbow of her cardigan. She projected her voice at the door, trying hard to make it sound like she hadn’t been crying. She knew she was unsuccessful a couple of syllables in. “Y-Yes Max, I’m okay.”

The doorknob turned and the door opened a crack. Kate was again angry with herself at the thought that she’d forgotten to lock the door, but as Max emerged from the other side and met eyes with her, these feelings dissipated and were replaced by a kind of warmth that seemed to emanate from Max, or maybe Kate was imagining it. Max carefully sidestepped the book in front of the door, keeping concerned eye contact with Kate as much as possible.

Max stared for a couple of seconds, then crouched and gently picked up the thrown book from the floor.

“Anne Geddes,” she said. “I like her work. Those babies are so cute.”

There was obvious concern in her voice, but Kate was somewhat grateful that she hadn’t led with “what’s wrong?” like anyone else might. Though, knowing Max Caulfield, it was somewhere on the tip of her tongue.

Max carefully replaced the jacket on the hardcover book, then looked at Kate.

“So, is it okay if I ask what happened?”

Kate hesitated, trying to find the words.

“It wasn’t Victoria again, was it?”

“I had to go by her, Taylor, and Courtney on the way here,” Kate blurted out. “She was angry and they accused me of…” she trailed off. When she noticed the intense, curious gaze Max had fixed on her, she immediately flashed back to the few seconds before the dream ended and that, coupled with the memory of the accusations that had been flung at her, caused her face to heat up. Hopefully, the blush that was no doubt spreading across her face would blend with her tearstained cheeks and be unnoticeable.

“Of what?” Max prompted.

Kate paused. Her breath hitched. “Th-They’re always claiming I’m a hypocrite! They said I did t-things to Mr. Jefferson!”

Max sat down on the futon, brow creased with concern, “Oh Kate…”

“And my mom called… and I forgot to pick up my phone…and…” she sighed. “I’m sorry Max, I guess I’m just having a bad day.”

Max set the book on the futon next to her, “Well, pardon me but… Fuck Victoria,” she smiled warmly at Kate. “I know you, and I know you’re really nice, and sweet… and you’re definitely not a hypocrite.”

Kate smiled. She felt the tears roll further down her face, “T-Thank you, Max.”

Max’s brow furrowed. She looked down at the carpet in thought. “I… don’t know your mom, so I don’t know exactly what to say there… but she raised a good daughter. She should be able to relax.”

Kate laughed and shook her head, “You really don’t know my mother.”

Max shrugged and stood up, “Maybe not. Anyway, I should go, but you can always text me if you need someone to talk to, okay?”

Kate looked down and smoothed her hands across her knees, “Okay… Thank you, Max.”

Max nodded and turned to leave. She stopped with a hand on the doorknob and looked back over her shoulder towards Kate. She visibly hesitated in saying whatever she wanted to say, but with a distinct sparkle in her eye.

“Hey, um, Kate?”

“Yes, Max?”

“Would you maybe like to come to my dorm later and watch a movie or something? We could get pizza and rent one of the oldies from the library…. If you want, I mean.”

As Max’s tentative stare met hers, Kate smiled.

“That sounds great, thank you, Max.”


End file.
